Canine life stage feeding

Question 1

When are dogs considered to need maintenance feeding?

Answer 1

Not pregnant
Not lactating
Not working strenuously
Not ill or severely injured

Question 2

What are the life stages of dogs?

Answer 2

Neonate 0-2 wks
Puppy (pre-weaning) 0-6wks
Puppy (post weaning) > 6 wks
Pediatric – Weaning – 6 mo
Adult 12 mo – 7/9 yrs
Geriatric 7/9 yrs onward

Gestation
Lactation
Active
Health (obesity, anorexia, recuperating)

Question 3

How should feeding change during gestation?

Answer 3

Increased energy and protein
30% protein and 20% fat (DMB)
Protein requirement can increase by 70%
Protein deficiency can cause developmental problems and increase neonatal mortality
High quality, digestible animal proteins
Week 1-5: quantity of food should not increase
Week 6: 1.2-1.5 times maintenance quantity of food
Maintain body condition score – being overweight increases chances of dystocia

Question 4

How can adding calcium to the diet effect the dog during gestation and lactation?

Answer 4

No need for calcium supplementation
Unless homemade diet or eclampsia
Oversupplementation associated with postpartum hypocalcaemia and atrophy of parathyroid gland

Question 5

What does the dog need during gestation and lactation?

Answer 5

Increased need for essential fatty acids
Linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid – deficiency associated with poor placental development, pre-term parturition and small litter size
DHA – cognitive development and visual acuity

Question 6

What does altricial mean?

Answer 6

reliant on mother when born

Question 7

What do puppies need?

Answer 7

Puppies are altricial
First 36 hours are crucial
Two types of milk
Colostrum – nutrition and immunity
Milk – nutrition
Essential that puppies obtain enough colostrum as soon as possible pp.

Question 8

What is colostrum?

Answer 8

Passive immunity
-10-20% transferred in utero
-80-90% via colostrum
Contains immunoglobins (Ig) – large proteins that protect against infectious disease
Absorbed across intestinal mucosa in first 16-24h pp.
Optimal transfer of passive immunity in first 3-6h after birth
Active immunity not fully developed until 16 weeks pp.
Colostrum contributes significantly to circulating blood volume
-Water turnover is high; insufficient fluid consumption can cause circulatory failure in neonates

Question 9

What does colostrum contain?

Answer 9

Also contains bioactive factors:

• Lysosomes – enzymes which controls bacterial growth establishing healthy population of intestinal flora
• Bile salt activated lipase – fat digestion

Question 10

How should orphaned puppies be fed?

Answer 10

Should be fed a milk replaced specifically formulated for their needs
This will only provide nutrition, not passive immunity
Stomach size limits feed size in first few weeks - 10-20ml per feed every 2 hours
Energy value should be 1400-1800 kcal/L
-1-3 weeks 130-150 kcal ME/kg0.75/d
-4 weeks onwards 200-220 kcal ME/kg0.75/d

Question 11

How should puppies be weaned?

Answer 11

From 4 weeks the dams milk can no longer provide sufficiently for energetic and nutritional needs
Puppies will start to ingest semi solid food alongside milk intake from 3-4 weeks
Nutritionally weaning complete by 6 weeks but behavioural weaning should not be interrupted until 7-8 weeks to support psychological/emotional development
Dry food can be fed from 6 weeks

Question 12

How does nutrition in the first 6 months effect dogs?

Answer 12

Weaning to 6 months – nutrition has predisposing effects for rest of life

Important growth phase
-Most rapid phase 3-6 months

Growth patterns differ between breeds

• Rapid growth is shorter in small breeds and ends earlier at about 3 months of age
• Faster growth rates continue for another month in large breeds and for another 2 months in giant breeds

Question 13

When do toy, small and medium breeds reach mature body weight?

Answer 13

Attain adult BW by ~ 9-10 months of age
Reach mature body size ~9-12 months
Because basal metabolic rate is related to total body surface area, small and toy breeds have higher energy needs per kg
Small and large breeds achieve adult size within relatively similar period
E.g. adult weight of Chihuahua 2-2.5kg vs. Newfoundland 70kg

Question 14

When do large and giant breeds reach mature body weight?

Answer 14

Attain adult BW by ~11-15 months of age
Reach mature body size ~18-24 months
Small and large breeds achieve adult size within relatively similar period
E.g. adult weight of Chihuahua 2-2.5kg vs. Newfoundland 70kg

Question 15

What can rapid growth cause?

Answer 15

Rapid growth can cause developmental abnormalities

• Restriction rather than ad. lib. feeding of large breeds reduces skeletal abnormalities such as osteochondrosis, hypertrophic osteodystropy and hip dysplasia
• Excess dietary calcium can also cause skeletal abnormalities
• Large breeds are more sensitive to excess calcium than small breeds

Question 16

What should we consider when feeding young dogs?

Answer 16

Feed highly digestible, high quality feed formulated for growth
Feed to average adult weight
-Potential growth linked to parent size so use as an indication
Provide multiple meals daily to avoid overloading small stomach
-At least 2 per day until 4-6 months of age
Avoid over feeding or unnecessary supplementation
-Measure portions
Nutritional requirements for growth reduce over time
-Use feeding guide
Importance of controlled exercise

Question 17

How should we monitor growth?

Answer 17

Regular of BCS and weight (weekly/biweekly)
Avoid BCS above 5
Check growth against growth charts
Waltham growth chart 
Weigh and plot monthly until 6 months
Then every 3 months
Adjust ration accordingly